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Mar 07, 2013ManMachine rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This corny, formulaic "rags-to-riches" tale (which takes place within the competitive world of rock'n'roll music) just barely managed to squeak by with a 2.5-star rating. Just 22 at the time, Elvis Presley plays first-class heel and ex-con, Vincent Everett, a guy with a mean mouth, a hair-trigger temper, and an upper lip that's forever curled up into a belligerent sneer. As Vincent steadily climbs his way up the ladder to fame and fortune, it seems that no matter how many times he actually manages to alienate those around him (or else decks them with a swift right-hook to the jaw), all is immediately forgiven once he begins to swivel those hips and sing one of his hit songs to everyone's hand-clapping delight. Filmed in b&w, Jailhouse Rock, from 1957, contains some really priceless dialogue. Its highlights were Presley singing "Treat Me Nice", as well as the absurdly choreographed, homo-erotic, shimmy-shakin' title tune.